PNNL

Dr. Joseph Williams, Director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Seattle Research Center, was unanimously elected as the next Vice Chair of the Quantum for National Security (Q4NS) Technical Advisory Committee. Williams will assume this role in January 2022 and will become Chair of Q4NS in 2023.

Q4NS is part of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) that aims to enable and grow the quantum industry in the United States. From aerospace to health care, and chemistry to finance, quantum technologies will impact every industry by addressing problems in ways classical computing cannot. These technologies are expected to revolutionize our way of life.

With the 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act, our nation is leading the world in quantum information science and related technologies. This Act established five National Quantum Information Science Research Centers under the Department of Energy, three of which harness PNNL’s quantum expertise. The Act also launched the QED-C, which brings together stakeholders across the government, industry, and academia to foster the research, development, and commercialization of these technologies.

The Pacific Northwest is quickly becoming the go-to location for research and development of quantum technologies. The Northwest Quantum Nexus strives to advance quantum research and develop a quantum information science-trained workforce. It is a coalition of research and industrial organizations in the Pacific Northwest and neighboring regions, including founding members PNNL, Microsoft, and the University of Washington.

Williams brings Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s expertise in both national security and quantum information science to the Q4NS committee. “Quantum technologies will pose both great challenges and opportunities for national security,” said Williams. “The research being done at PNNL helps empower our nation to face challenges as these technologies progress.”

Williams joined PNNL in 2019 as the Director of PNNL-Seattle. Prior to this, he was Governor Jay Inslee’s information and communications technology sector lead and director of information and communications technology economic development. In those roles, he helped foster the quantum technology sector in the state of Washington. By participating in QED-C and serving on the leadership team for Q4NS, Williams can share his knowledge and experience to benefit the rest of the nation.